You will soon be able to create your own boots on FIFA

If you grew up playing FIFA while simultaneously envying the freedom of style and customization in games like NBA 2K, your troubles might finally be over. EA and Nike have recently announced an upcoming collaboration “to build new immersive experiences and unlock brand-new levels of customization within the EA SPORTS ecosystem.” This will be enabled by Nike’s virtual community experience .SWOOSH, and the FIFA (EA Sports FC starting next season) faithful could not be more excited.

Unfortunately, this is as much as everyone knows right now. EA and Nike have barely released any information on what the collaboration will actually entail, but the few words spoken on the matter are always up to interpretation. For us, this collab is very likely going to bring one thing in particular: boot customization.

Boot customization has been on the FIFA community’s wishlist for several years. Although real life offers this in great variety - the most notable example being Nike By You - it is something the virtual football experience is yet to unlock. The truth is, even real-life customization is still relatively new, as is attention for football boots in the fashion world as a whole. We look at basketball and see how the shoes used in-game are so often synonymous with pop culture and lifestyle, but the impracticality of studs has hindered this same phenomenon to take place in football. Nevertheless, we find ourselves in a shifting situation, as confirmed by the volume of important collaborations between athletic brands and the streetwear or haute couture industries over the years.

Prada and adidas, for example, made headlines not too long ago for their revolutionary work together, as they introduced 3 models to the market with attention to fashion, football, and performance alike. Having the ability to customize or create boots on future EA football titles would mean increased exposure for football boot culture, attention from designers, brands, and a firm maneuver toward mainstream media. The sport is growing more and more concerned with style and aesthetics, so the ability to use boots as a canvas and unleash one’s creative side to the fullest will completely propel football footwear into fashion.Game modes like Pro Club will contribute the most to this change.

If you’ve ever played, you know how important appearances are here, as players often customize as much as the game allows for. Tacky, yet unique looks are the norm, and boot customization would be the perfect addition to a world that already thrives on personal visual expression. In NBA 2K’s MyPark mode, for example, a player’s shoe game is absolutely essential. It is the pinnacle of self expression that most if not all users engage in obsessively, which is why special 2K releases - such as the Nike LeBron 17s “2K” - have been massively popular. If EA were to give its customers the chance to explore the vast possibilities of boot customization, things would take off monumentally. The more style choices are given to modern football fans, the more they will participate, get involved, and help football boot culture ascend to the next level.